Automobile lock



May 8, 1923- 1,454,099

. A. E. ZIERICK v I AUTOMOBILE LOCK 'Filed May 5, 1922 45 ,INVENTOR Ambrose E. Ziericn Arman/m Patent nnosn n. ZIERICCK, on new sons, n, 1.-

.euromomnn noon.

. Application-filed ma 3, 1922. Eerie! so. sseeer.

I To 11 whom is! may concern: v

Be it known'that I, Amenosn E. ZIERIOK,

T e citizen of the United States and a resident of New York, borough Manhattan,

I for locking in the county of New York-and State of' New York, have made and invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Automo- Ali-object of the present invention is to provide it steering wheel loekwhich is'perticulerly adapted for that type of steering ear which employs a set of planetary -ears hetweenelw s eerm wheel proper an the shaft which exten s to and operates the steering mechanism proper, such esused 1n the Ford automobile,

. A further object is to provide it steering wheel lock which is adapted to engage end hold. the planetary wheels and gears against movement .VllilllESPfiClZ to the steering post end by such arrangement providing that the apparatus will be simple in construction, economical to manufacture and eilicient and trustworthy in its action vand thus afi'ord a protection against the malicious driving or theft of the car.

A further object is to provides steering wheel lock which'may he attached to the steering post of the automobile and secured in place without in any way requiring the construction of the steering wheel post or steering shaft to he changed or altered or any machine work .to be performed thereon, thus allowing the device to be ins'tulled'with but little labor: and thus at 2, minimum cost, and with the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists in the improved automobile lock illustrated in the accompenying drziwing and hereinafter described and claimed, and in such variations and modifications thereof as will be obvious to those skilledin the art to which my inven tion relates, it hein understood that changes may be made wit in the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit thereof.

The preferred embodiment of my invention is disclosed in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is it view in vertical section of not shown) and is provided'with the up the top of the steering'post and illustrating portions of the steering wheel and steering shaft, the latter having the planetary" gears thereon and showing my novel lock attached thereto and in locked position;

Figure 2 is a, View n horizontal section taken on the line 2--2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a, plan view of the member which engages the planetary gears and holds the same from moving and thus prevents the turning of the steering wheel;

Figure 4 is a detail view in section of the locking bolt;

igure 5 is a detail viewin vertical section of e modified form of locking bolt.

Referring specifically to the several views wherein similar reference numerals, designate corresponding parts throughout, the steering post 10 is of the usual type and firmly secured to the floor boards of the car er threaded extremity 11, directly behind which and formed integrally with the post is the internalgeer 12. Extendingnp through the stationary steering post 10 is the steering shaft 13 which is provided at its upper extremity with the three outstanding arms 14 carrying the planetary gears 15 thereon which mesh with the mternal gear 12. The steering wheel 16 is provided with. the downwardly extending rod 17 which is p'rovidedndjecent its lower ex-v tremity with the shoulder 18 and the reduced end 19, the letter fitting within the steering shutt ll and effecting a rotatable joint therewith. T he steering rod 17 is pro-.

vided with a bushing 20,the lower end of which is flanged as at 20. That portion of the steering rod 17 which is located directly above the reduced end 19 isformed as a pinion 21 and meshes with the planetary gears 15. Thus as the steering wheel 16 is turned the motion is transmitted to the steering rod 17 and to the pinion QL which. is formed integral therewith. The turning of the pinion 21 tends to rotate the plane tary gears 15 and thus cause them..to revolve, due to their gear 12.

My novel lock comprises a. housing .or casing- 22 which is threaded at its lower extremity as at 23 and which engages the upper threaded extremity 11 of the steering post 10 and after having been tightly screwed thereon-is permanently locked thererneshing with v the internel ill) to by the pin 24,"the seine en'gegingeps proximately half of the casing and half'of the upper extremity of the steering post so two.

as to cated within the housing is the journal or stud and upon which is located the rotating cage or gear holding member 26. I'his cage or gear holdin member is illustrated in bottom plan in igure 3 and includes the cut-out portions 27 which are adapted to receive the lanetary gears 15 therein and thus allow t e planetary gears to revolve when the said cage or gear holding member is free to turn.

he cage, or gear holding member is provided adjacent its upper extremity with the circular groove 28 extending'therearound and leading in from which are. the radialopenings 29, preferably six in number, al-

though I do not necessarilylimit myself to the exact number of these radial openings. Extending outwardly from one side of the housing or casing 22-is the lock receiving I and I ger 34 forwai;

rojectionBO having the opening 31 extendlng therein and into which fits the cylinder lock 32. lnte fsecting the-laterally extending opening 31 is the second. and radially extending o ening $3'and in which fits the plunger' 34. he plunger-34 is arranged so as to all in out, so fhat when; theplunger 1s inserted or moved into one of the radial 'o enings 29 it will accordingly look and' hol'. the'cage' or gear holding member 26 against rotation witr respect to the housing creasing 22 against movement with respect to the steer; ing post .10 and thus prevent the steering gear of the car trom fiinctioning.

The cylinder ire lock 32 is of the conventional forman is? rided at itsiear extrmity with theswin n with the openings 29. as they pass therethus in turn lock. the pinion gears stem 35 which revent the relative turning of the pin chambers,

adapted to engage the earn-shape recesses 36 in the face of the plunger boit 3%, so that the key is turned, causing the turning of the swinging stem 35, it moves the plundfanti into one ofthe openings '29 which he in alignment therewith, the steering wheehheing slowly turned as the 'keyyttl is turned until bolt snaps into place.

The plunger bolt M is the 'piunger preferably holdial openings 29.

iow as shown iu'Figure i and is provided with a spring 40 therein which acts upon the extremity ii ot, therod i2 and alsoupon a base plug a3 in the rear of the plunger bolt 34:. The compression, springzifl accordingly tends to resiliently retract the plunger bolt 34. due to-the endofthe being secured'to the plug ih'whic'li in turn is secured to-the end wall of the outstanding projection 30, l r F This type cl resil itiy retracted plunger is "for u: ioi'conhection with that type of cvl -d wherein the key may be f r:ithdrawn-from the took when-the swinging by a screw or closing cap. I

stem is in one position; that is, the lock has only one pin chamber, similar to the Yale and Eagle looks. The cylinder key lock is so arranged that the keymay only be nection'with this form of lock i prefer to arrange the plunger bolt and spring as illustrated-in Figure 5, wherein a compression spring/i5 bears against the front wall of the opening 46 within the plunger bolt 47 and impinges'at its rear extremity against the rod 48', which bears against or is connected to, the plug or rear wall 49 of the key' lock housing or projection 30. Thus the modified form illustrated'm Figure 5 results in the plunger 4:7 tending to assume a forward position." With this particular type', when it is desired to unlock the steering wheel, the key isin'serted in place and the swin ing bolt forcibly. turned, causing the'with rawal of the plunger &7 against the action of the spring 45, and which re- ,traction of the plunger bolt releases the planeta gears and allows the steering function. The key may wheelto turn and be wi hd rawn while the plunger is retracted. anti-the steering wheelaccordin 1y main tain'ed niunlocked condition. W en it is desi vto'again lock the steering-wheel, the

keyisinserted in place, releasing the swingin stem and allowing thepl'unger bolt to move forwardly andiengag'e one of the re- The key may then be withdrawn and the steering wheel will. accordingly remain irilocked condition. The plunger bolt. '34:;isj of suchlength and so arranged as to allow it to be withdrawn fromv radial openings 29 but will never pass the entirely out of the annular groove 28 and thus will always hold the cage or gear holding member 26' upon the stud or journal 25,

thus causing the various parts to maintain 2 their proper position while i y lock is being sold and before we g attached to the steering gear. In order th the various gears an in proper lubricated condition, I have provided a suitable oil hole 50, normally closed From the foregoing it will be a parent that in my iifiproved steering whee lock I do not in any way. have to alter orchan o the construction of the various parts of-the steering wheel or gear, that the ent r conimproved,

earings may be niaintained.

zrigid lock which it is attached.

struction .is simple in its'arrangement and may accordingly be economically manufeatured, and, further, due to the manner in which it engages the planetary wheels and holds them against rotation with respect tov the steering post, forms a most strong and and capable of preventing the malicious driving or theft of the ear to Having thus described and explained my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

ing,

housing, acage or gear holding member rotatably mounted'u on said sleeve-like journal and having portions protruding down between the planetary gears of the steering shaft, saidsleeve-like journal rotatably receiving the steering shaft therethrough, a key lock carriedby said housing, a plunger bolt actuated by cage or gear holding said key lock, said member provided With inwardly extending openings adapted to receiveflsaid plunger bolt therein and be held against movement A steering gear lock comprising a housmeans for securing it to the upper ex tremity of a steering post, a sleeve-like jouri, nal carried by said thereby, and resilient means facilitating the movements of said plunger. I

2. A steering gear lock comprising a housing, means for securing it to the upper extremity of a steering post, a sleeve-like journal carried by said housing, a cage or gear holding member rotatably mounted upon said sleeve-like journal and having portions protruding down between the planetary gears of the steering shaft, said sleeve-like journal rotatably receivin tlie steering shaft therethrough, a key l ook carried by said housing, a plunger bolt actuated-bysaid key lock, said cage or earholding member by, and resilient means holding said plunger.

ina retracted, position.

provided with inwardly extending open-' Signed at New York, borough of Man-V I hat-tan, in the county of New York and State, of New York, this 22nd day of April, A.

' AMBROSE E. ZIERICK. Witnesses: I

DAVID BRUHWER, JAS. A, SMITH. 

